DESPITE GOVERNMENT CHANGES
AFTER ELECTIONS PAKISTAN WILL HAVE SAME POLICY TO ERADICATE LANKA’S
TERRORISM
By Walter Jayawardhana
Despite recent changes in the Pakistani government following elections
there will be no changes of policy in the country’s attitude towards
Sri Lanka’s problem of terrorism said Pakistani President Pervez
Musharaf.
He asserted to his Sri Lankan counterpart President Mahinda Rajapaksa
in Sanya in Hainang island that Pakistan will stand by its South Asian
friend, Sri Lanka in its struggle to eradicate terrorism.
Pervez told Rajapaksa, “There will be absolutely no change in our
attitude towards Sri Lanka.”
President Rajapaks is in China for the second time in 14 months at the
invitation of the Chinese President Hu Jintao to participate in the
Boao Forum to which the Pakistani President also came to participate.
The new Pakistani Foreign Minister Sha Mahmud and and Defense Minister
Ahamad Mukthar joined the Pakistani President in his discussions with
the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Pakistan President during the course of the discussions said there
is an immediate need to expand the scope of the Free Trade Agreement
between both countries. The two countries have doubled their trade within
one year since the inception of the trade agreement.
The leaders in a friendly and frank discussion exchanged views on the
current situation and President Mahinda Rajapaksa described in detail
his government’s programme to eradicate terrorism from Sri Lanka.
President Musharaf thanked President Rajapaksa for the help of Sri
Lanka during the recent Commonwealth ban and wished Rajapaksa to have
a very successful SAARC summit at the end of the year.
Meanwhile Chinese investors held discussions with President Rajapaksa
and International investment Minister G.L. Peiris and other delegates
to increase their investments in Sri Lanka . The President said the
investors could make use of the free trade agreement to the optimum.
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